


Cloudy Memory

by annawiller



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: F/M, Heartbreak, Love, Weddings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-08
Updated: 2018-09-05
Packaged: 2019-04-20 05:52:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,744
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14254383
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/annawiller/pseuds/annawiller
Summary: Zoe Ella Burton was happy, she had everything she wanted work wise and love wise. Everything was perfect, she was getting ready for marrying the love of her life, lived in Boston and had her dream job as a writer for The Boston Globe. Zoe felt as though nothing could stop her.  And then everything slipped from her fingers, her fiancée called the engagement off and the next thing she is back home with her family and best friend, hoping this would soon be over.Harry Styles too was happy, after his first tour alone he has time off before going back to the studio and he intended to spend his free time with his friends and family. Going back and forth between Cheshire and London was just what he needed.Zoe and Harry haven’t seen each other for years, but whenever they are together again, it seems like no time had gone by. What happens when they meet again, one with a broken heart and another with a not so broken heart and what happens when an ex comes back into the picture?





	1. Chapter 1

_Prologue_

I stared in the mirror and saw an unrecognisable face. I looked like a panda and not the cute kind, the mascara I had put on this morning was no longer on my eyelashes but my under eyes and palms, the red lipstick was smeared off too and to be quite honest, I looked horrible which is something I don’t say often, but this time called for it. It was okay to look like this. If this had happened a year ago, all I would think about was that it was a dream and when I woke up, the wedding would still be on. The wedding. My wedding. The dream wedding that we had set the date for in exactly one month. Oh god, the guest. My family and friends. How would I say that he called it off? And only one month before it was supposed to be, everyone had bought plane tickets and hotel rooms. God, I hope it could be refunded otherwise everyone would be screwed. A faint noise from the living room got louder and louder, I quickly walked out of the bathroom and shut the lights, then proceeded to the living room and found my phone where the noise came from.

 

_‘Incoming call from ‘Michael’’_

 

Oh shit, great timing brother, absolutely great fucking timing. With closed eyes, I let out a small sigh and pressed on the green button on my screen, slowly I lifted my phone up to my right ear. “Hi Michael.” I said with a small voice, he couldn’t possibly already know that the wedding was off, right? It had only been two days. Two days since Jake walked away with suitcases and bags filled to the brim with his belongings.

 

“Zoe. Hi” He said with a strain in his voice, he knew. Which meant that everybody knew and that Jake had either told himself to my family that the wedding was off, or he had his assistant call everyone on the guest list and report the news. “how are you?” he followed up after a few silent seconds.

 

“uh, you know. If I said I was doing okay, that would be a lie, but I’m coping if you could say that.” I said and started to pick the side of my left thumb a dumb habit I got into since I stopped biting my nails. “how are you guys?”

 

“That’s.. that’s good sis. God, I wish I was with you, Max too. I’m so sorry Zoe…”

 

“It’s okay, if it wasn’t supposed to happen, it wasn’t supposed to happen. To be frank, it’s good he called it off a month before the wedding. Imagine if he did it by the alter, now that would be horrible.” I laughed even though nothing about this was funny. “So how did you guys figure out who would call me?”

 

“We tossed a coin. Hah, we really are a predictable family huh?” he laughed and this time it was actually funny. Since I could remember, my mother and father tossed a coin whenever they either had bad news to tell us or good news for that matter, which seemed to stick with me and my siblings.

 

“And you lost big brother. Good thing you have luck in love and not in games.” I laughed and took a seat on my couch. The couch, my bed, the toilet and the kitchen had been the only four places I had visited the last two days, it was a good thing it was Sunday today, otherwise I would have gotten fired.

 

“Yeah, but it’s good to hear your voice again, seems like it has been a while since we last talked. What’s your plan with everything?” he asked and sounded concerning.

 

I sighed, because I had no idea what to do. “I don’t know. All I want to do is to get away, but I can’t just leave my job like this. I have to think about it and see what I will do.”

 

“Come back home then. I know it’s not possible to take a holiday right now, but as soon as you can, come back home. You haven’t been home for two years now.” Michael sounded eager and excited as he spoke, it sure did not sound as if this was something he had just thought about, but rather something he had thought about for a while. I chuckled, “Ah I don’t know. Maybe, but I’ll have to see what happens.”

 

“Okay, just know that you are welcome here at any time. Whether it is in London, Liverpool or Cheshire. I love you sis you know that.” He said and I could hear his smile as he said it, “Love you too, but I have to go now. Say hi to the other for me please.” I said, Michael said his goodbyes and hung up on the phone. With a sigh, I leaned back on the couch and my head met the wall softly. A few tears started to build up and I quickly wiped them away with my sweater. It was good to hear his voice again, he was right though, it had been too long since I was back home. Maybe going back home was a good idea after all.


	2. Chapter One

_Chapter One_

The airport was once again filled with people, the Logan International Airport was filled with families who were going on vacation and then there were all the business men and women who sped through the crowds to get to their plane in time. Dublin was not as crowded as LIA, but Manchester International on the other hand was filled with people once again, and I truly did not have the energy for screaming children and parents who told off their children either because they were tired or they were making trouble. All I was looking forward to right now, was to sit in a train in complete silence to Holmes Chapel and look out on the country, reminiscing the ‘old’ days where I did not have a care for the world, back to the little shy and naïve girl who only worried about whether or not Tobias from 3rd grade liked me.

 

After waiting for my two huge suitcases and placing them on the trolley that airports have, I started walking towards the exit while balancing my handbag on top of my suitcases. Walking out of the doors to where people greeted and waited for family members and friends, a smile crossed my lips as an older man ran towards a woman around the same age as himself with tears in his eyes and a bouquet of daisy’s. Slowly I looked around the crowd and saw multiple signs for people with writing such as ‘WELCOME BACK HELEN’ and ‘WELCOME TO ENGLAND PETER’, the variation was big. Past the crowd of anxious people, I walked towards the private drivers who was waiting for people to pick up with signs of different surnames, and as I walked past them I saw ‘Mrs Burton’ written on one card, with furrowed eyebrows I walked over to the person feeling confused since I had not arranged for a private driver. As I walked closer to the person I saw a woman with blonde hair under a black hat and black sunglasses.

 

“Did you really think you were to take the fucking train all by yourself?” the familiar voice surprised me, with a gasp I let go of the trolley and embraced my best friend in the whole wide world.

 

“Gem!” I gasped, “What are you doing here? You are supposed to be in London right now.” I continued with my arms around her shoulders. God, I had missed her so much. “I’ve missed you so much it’s unbelievable.”

 

“What I’m doing here? Picking up my best friend of course! When Michael said you wanted to take the train, I rejected. Why take the train when I can drive you back home and we can talk?” She laughed and hugged me tighter. “I’m happy you’re here honey.” She whispered and I nodded as a meaning that I agreed with her.

 

“Took a month, but I’m here.” I whispered and it felt as though a huge burden fell off of my shoulders as I had reached Manchester. What Michael had said to me a month ago, had stuck in my head and only a few days went by with work and crying, when I started to look at plane tickets and what to do with the place I had shared with Jake. Soon I was getting boxes and started packing the place down, organising it into stuff I would keep, would donate, sell and toss. And thankfully there was a lot of stuff I donated and sold for a cheap price and used the money for tickets to Manchester, the stuff I kept I placed in a storage room such as a few furniture’s. In a way, I was glad that almost all of the stuff in the place we shared, was mine because that meant that we did not have to meet again and split the stuff we shared. There were still some of his stuff, but I gave my friend Mike that duty to deal with. It was hard but something I needed to do, rather sooner than later, even though it seemed quick to ‘move on’ and ‘run away’, I had a right to do it. Because I could not deal with the anxious feeling and fear to stumble into him in the grocery store or on the street, and as for my job at The Boston Globe I wished I could keep my position, but since I was moving back home, the paper cannot have someone hired from another country and living in said country, simply because of the work regulations and law. But somehow it was okay for me, part of the reason I moved to Boston, was for the opportunity to write for The Boston Globe but also to try something new, a new country away from everyone I knew, a new opportunity to meet new people and a new life for me.

 

“Let’s get out of here and sit in the car and sing for our lives for half an hour.” Gemma grinned and we let go of each other and started to push the trolley towards the exit. “God, how much have you packed? It’s heavy as fuck.” I laughed at her comment as I walked by her side.

 

“Well, I did pack four years’ worth of life, down to two suitcases. I deserve an award for just that accomplishment.” I laughed and jumped on top of the suitcases. “To the car, my slave!” I laughed or rather yelled and pointed to the cars, Gemma laughed and muttered that her car was to the left and not straight forward. “Right, I meant left, just checking whether or not you remembered.” I said and pointed to the left with a smile on my lips. Moving back home was already a good idea. 

 •  •

Gemma had dropped me off at my parents’ house and had offered to help with my suitcases, but I brushed it off saying I needed the workout. After getting in the house with the extra key, that was hid in a little crack in the brick wall, I took off my jacket and trainers and took my handbag with me as I walked to the kitchen and hoped my mum and dad was home.

 

“Hello. Anybody here?” I said with a loud voice and walked into the kitchen where the lights were turned off. I heard noises from the scullery and knew it was our family dog Fiona who is a brown Labrador, funnily enough she was named after Fiona in ‘Shrek’ and it was not me who chose the name, but Max who insisted she was to be named Fiona otherwise my seven-year-old little brother would run away. As I walked to the scullery I saw a note on the kitchen table from my parents. _‘Hi honey, sorry we couldn’t be here when you got home, dad and I are at the annual gala at dad’s work. Hope you had a lovely flight and drive with Gem. Love you lots, xoxo mummy and daddy.’_. I sighed after reading the note, guess that means I was home alone with Fiona since Michael was in Liverpool and Max in Manchester. As I walked to the scullery I crumbled the note in my right hand and threw it out in the rubbish bin, and opened the door to the scullery and saw a very happy Fiona in front of me.

 

“Hi baby.” I said and got down on my knees as she ran towards me with a tail that was flipping to right and left and started licking me. “I’ve missed you. Yes, I’ve missed you so much baby. Look at you, you’re all grown up now.” I laughed as I petted her and kissed her little head. Fiona was an elder lady, 12 years to be exact which meant that she often was a quiet dog and very slow when you took her for walks. “Do you want to go out with me? I think you do. Let’s find your leash and let’s get going.” I said and got off the ground and looked around for her red leash.

 

“Let’s go Fiona, breathe in the air and relax, how does that sound huh?” I said and half asked her even though I knew I would never get an answer from her. Quickly I got my jacket and trainers on again, locked the door and started to walk with Fiona. Since it was a Friday night, it was pretty much dead on the streets. A few cars went by Fiona and me, but otherwise it was very quiet which was calming after such a long trip, jetlag had not caught up with me yet, but I was sure it was something that would bother me quite a bit. As we walked through the village, I decided to walk to the village centre and where I spend a lot of my time when I was younger, in the bakery where Michael had worked and I secretly got loads of sweets from him and the owner, the pharmacy my mum owns and on the sidewalk where I played with the kids or used my skipping rope or drew with coloured chalk on the road after school.

 

“God, I’ve missed this place.” I sighed when Fiona and I were at the park and I took the leash off her and sat down on the swing. Fiona began to run around in her on pace on the green grass while I looked around the park and thinking back to when I was last in the park. It was two years ago when my grandad died of lung cancer and there was a reception for him, but after being there for a few hours I knew I could not take it anymore, so I walked around in the park to make time pass before walking home. Looking around for Fiona, I saw her laying on the grass by a tree and decided to walk back home knowing she was beyond tired after this walk.


	3. Chapter Two

Chapter Two  
Two days later

Being back home felt nice. It was good to see everyone and I found out that Facetime and Skype definitely did not do it justice when it came to my family and friends and it felt as though that words could not describe how much I have missed them. After I had walked with Fiona the day I got back home, I went straight to bed and slept for what felt like a day, but it was more like 10 hours, but those 10 hours was needed. I could still feel the jetlag at times, but it did not bother me as much as it does at other times. Since it was spring and not near any holidays, my parents worked every day, mom at the pharmacy and dad worked in London and travels between Cheshire and London every weekend or every other weekend, so I only saw him the morning after the day I got home, because the Gala was in Manchester where the headquarters of his work are placed. But I saw mom every day and it was good to be with her alone and talk to her about everything with me and how things were going with her and the family. 

It was now lunch time and I was sat in the car on my way to pick my mom up for lunch. It was weird driving on the right side on the road, that being the left side, after all this time, but it was like riding a bike, as soon as you are doing it again after such a long pause from it, it comes back to you in a matter of little time. It probably sounded weird that I took the car because we lived so close to the pharmacy, but mom and I had decided to go to Manchester for lunch and we both could not bother with the train, so car was the best option and fastest may I say. After a five-minute drive, I was by the village centre and waiting for mom to come out, the radio was on and on BBC Radio 1 and currently playing ‘Ain’t my fault’ with Zara Larsson and I jammed a little with hand gestures and probably looked like a fool while doing it but I quite liked the song. Suddenly the left door opened and with a shock I saw to my left and saw my mom grinning as she got in the car. 

“Very funny mom.” I laughed as I turned the car key and backed out of the car park and slowly rolled out from Cheshire and caught a glimpse of a tall dark-haired guy as he walked on the pavement with a few bags from the local supermarket.

• •   
“Look, why don’t I take the car back to work and you can stroll around here and maybe visit Max if he isn’t at college?” Mom said when we walked back to car after our lunch, we had found a little café and both got open sandwiches along with a lemonade and later a cappuccino. 

“I’d like that.” I said and handed her the keys to the car and followed her to the car, with a hug mom was quickly in the car and drove off back to work. We had parked near a park so I decided to walk over to it and sat down on a bench while I found my phone and texted Max if he was free and he was quick to reply back that he was for a few hours before he had to head over to a pub with a few of his friends for a few pints. We agreed to meet near his flat and walk around the area for a bit. 

“Look at you. Wow you’re tall.” I gushed when I hugged Max, it felt like millions of days had passed since I last saw him.

“You know, I’ve been taller than you for at least seven years.” He laughed and let go of me. 

“Let me have this moment please.” I laughed as we started to walk down the pavement. “So, how’s college?” I asked as we crossed a zebra crossing. 

“It’s so great. I’ve learned so much in this year, it’s crazy that it’s over soon. Have I told you I got a job at the restaurant we used to go to every time when we were younger?” Max asked and I was gobsmacked, he never told me that. 

“What?! No, you didn’t but oh my god that’s so great. I’m so happy for you!” I said with the biggest smile on my face. “When do you start?”

“Next month, I’m a little nervous, but the head chef is the coolest so it’s gonna be great.”

“Don’t be, you’re gonna be great! I know it.” I said as Max opened a door to a JOE & THE JUICE. “You hungry?” he asked and I shook my head. “Had lunch with mum. But I can’t say no to a juice or something.” I said as I looked at the menu behind the stand with the vegetables and fruit, loud pop music was playing but thankfully not too loud to have a conversation with someone. 

“What do you want? My treat.” Max said as he found his card to pay. “I’ll go for a ‘IRON MAN’” I said since it was always the one I went for, strawberry, kiwi and apple was a perfect mixture of sweet, sour and a freshness. “Hi mate, uh one IRON MAN, one PRINCE OF GREEN and a TURKEY sandwich.” Max said to the guy behind the stand who was quick to write the order down on a long piece of paper and handed it to another guy, both fairly good looking. After Max payed for the food and drinks, we found a place to sit and soon our order was ready and Max went up to get the order and he dug in to the TURKEY sandwich with mozzarella, turkey, tomato and pesto. 

“Your phone Z.” Max said suddenly as he looked at it on the table where we sat, I looked down and saw it was Gemma who has calling it. I pressed on the green button as I brought it up to my right ear and turned the volume up since the music was too loud to hear what she was saying.

“Hiya.” I said and took a sip of my juice. “What’s up?”

“You, me, loads of pistachio ice cream with chocolate and loads of rom-coms films tonight. Back at my mom’s at eight o’clock.” Gemma sounded excited as she explained what she wanted to do tonight. “And hello.” She laughed.

“Uhh, that’s a deal, but I thought you were going back to London today.” I said a little confused, I swore she told me when we drove from Manchester to Cheshire.

“I was, but on Friday mom is having family over for dinner, so I might as well just stay here the rest of the week.” She said loud as the sounds of cars were going by her and it was a little difficult to hear what she said. 

“Deal, I’m probably taking the train soon anyway.” I said when I saw what the time was now, Max should also soon head over to the pub with his friends anyway and it was not like I had anything else to do. Gemma and I said our goodbyes and suddenly I was on my way to the train station to take a train home, on the way to the station I said bye to Max and he promised to come back home for a weekend soon. 

• •   
The train ride was more pleasant than what I remembered it to be, since it was around six o’clock, there were not as may people on it than I thought there would be at rush hour, I had two seats for myself and had bought a book to read on the way home. As soon as I got home I quickly changed into something more comfortable, said bye to my mom and headed over to Gemma’s family’s house, a place and home that I counted as my second childhood home, and probably spend way too much time there rather than the house I lived in when I was little. After a fifteen-minute walk, I was finally at the house, they did not live as close to Cheshire centrum than me, which meant that they had a much larger garden and house than what my family did. They even had swimming pool and a small bungalow where Gemma and pretty much overtook with sleepovers when we were kids, it really had been way too long since I had been back here. 

I quickly knocked on the door and opened the door knowing that it was not locked, it never was when at least one of the family members were home. “Hello.” I sang and longed the ‘o’ as I sang. I heard Gemma yell a ‘hello’ back to me, after I slipped my shoes off and my coat, I walked out in the kitchen and saw Gemma in the middle of pulling a dish with hot nachos, cheese and chicken from the oven, a stable in this house whenever we had a movie night. “Where’s everyone?” I asked her as I hopped up on the kitchen counter. 

“Out, so we have the whole place to ourselves for a few hours.” She grinned as she placed the dish with nachos on the counter and gave me a hug.

“Perfect!” I said with a big smile on my face and hopped off the counter and started to help Gemma taking the food out to the living room. “Do you have any wine?” I asked as I was taking two wine glasses out of the cupboard. 

Gemma huffed. “Any wine? Who do you think I am? Of course there’s wine.” She laughed and walked over to the wine rack. 

“What? I just wanted to see if you and your family had gone bonkers and suddenly had no wine or alcohol in this house. You never know with such health freaks your family have become the past years. Or should I say dear old care bear has gotten?” I laughed and placed the two wine glasses on the dinner table. 

“That was years ago, he’s changed you know.” I gave her a look. I could recall that four months ago, Gemma called me moaning about how her little brother had went on about what unhealthy foods she had in her fridge and cupboards. “He’s gotten better, let’s say that.“ She laughed.

“Food aside, what movies will we be crying to tonight?” I asked and took a spoonful of salsa on my plate, then added a spoonful of guacamole and crème fraiche and finally some nachos with cheese and chicken. 

“The line-up for this night will be, ‘Midnight Sun’, ‘Forever My Girl’ and ‘Accidentally Engaged’. Then let us get started with ‘Accidentally Engaged’!” She said and turned on her laptop and went on some website to watch the movie. I was in my element right now. With one of my best friends, watching chick-flick and romantic comedies movies, eating what felt like half of my weight in nachos and ice cream, balling my eyes out at how miserable some of the movies made me feel and just relaxing and having a good time, something I had not done for a while now. The first movie started out great, especially because Brant Daugherty was a lead role and who did not like Brant or know him from Pretty Little Liars. The hallmark movie was something that felt like it was taken out of a chick-flick novel with how cheesy it and felt-good it was, something everyone loved at times. After the first movie was over, Gemma and I quickly cleaned up after our dinner and moved over to the sofa with our wine glasses and a few snacks and started to watch ‘Midnight Sun’ with Bella Thorne and Patrick Schwarzenegger, a beautiful story and a tear-jerker if I must say so. As we were to start ‘Forever My Girl’ Gemma exclaimed that she wanted ice cream and went out to the kitchen to gather all the condiments and ice cream for our ice cream special.

“Guess what I forgot to buy.” Gemma sang with a high voice, I sighed and looked over my shoulder. 

“Please tell me that it’s not whipped cream.” I begged her and saw her face turn into a grimace. “Gemma!” I said and threw a pillow after her. 

“I’m sorry! The shops have closed by the time I would get there, but I’ll try with Mrs Lewis, she always had whipped cream when we were younger.” She said with a shy smile.

“She better! Or I will go home right now!” I threatened her with a smile and pulled my legs up on the sofa and threw a blanket over myself. Gemma was quick to head out of the door and over to Mrs Lewis, she was such a sweet lady. Always been so calm with everyone, helping whenever someone in town needed it and always had a new story to tell about her life or some gossip about one in town. With my phone in my hand and humming a song from the radio from earlier, I scrolled down my feed on Instagram and liked a few pictures along the way and head the door open and then shut again, thinking it was Gemma I yelled that she was quick for how much she had just eaten as a joke but the only response I got was a deep laugh from someone behind me. 

“Hello.” The recognisable voice said and I looked over my shoulder. Behind me was standing someone I had not seen for years and only occasionally texted with since I moved to the states. Behind me was Harry ‘care bear’ Styles standing.


	4. Chapter Three

Chapter Three 

Chapter Three

“Oh my, what in the world are you doing here Care Bear?” I asked shocked knowing Harry hated my nickname for him and put down my phone as I got up from the sofa and slowly walked over to him. Surely this had not been planned from Gemma’s side because last time I heard, he was back home from his first solo world tour and was taking a break in London. Slightly nervous I gave him a hug and a chuckle came from him and started to pick my thumb on my right hand.

“Sounds like you didn’t know I was back.” He laughed, “I didn’t! Otherwise I would’ve said hi! What are you doing back?” 

“Been home for a few days, relaxing after a long time away. Didn’t know you were back home though.” He said as he squeezed my upper body. “Yeah, I uh... I moved back home, thought it would be a good idea with Jake and everything.” I said as Harry let go of me and I took a step back and started to study him. He was defiantly taller then I remember, skinnier and looked exhausted. 

“Oh yeah, Gem told me when I got home. Sorry, he’s an ass fyi.” He said with an apologetically smile, “Yeah, but it is what it is I guess.” I said as walked back to the sofa and took a seat where I sat a few moments ago, feeling confused as to why Gemma had not said that he was back. 

“It’s been years since we last saw each other.” Harry said as he took a seat where Gemma had just sat on the sofa. He was correct, it had been years since last time I saw him. “Yeah, at least three years, right?” 

“More like four, but who’s counting.” He laughed and I let out a chuckle as I heard the front door open and shut a few seconds, thinking it probably was Gemma with whipped cream. 

“I got it! Well, Mrs Lewis had it, funny enough she wasn’t surprised I was on the other side of the door, said it felt like she was 10 years younger.” Gemma laughed as she walked into the living room and saw Harry and I sit on the sofa. “Oh, back already?” She asked casually Harry with a smile.

“Yeah, Josh had to help the missus,” He said as he stole my blanket, “So, what are we watching?” 

“We aren’t watching something together, Z and I are watching ‘Forever my Girl’, alone.” Gem said with a tone in her voice. “Wait, hold up. You knew Care Bear was back? And you didn’t tell me?!” I stopped Harry as he opened his mouth for a comeback to what Gem had just said. 

“He’s my brother, ‘course I knew he was home.” She huffed as if she strolled out to the kitchen and probably started to assemble our desserts leaving me baffled and alone with a guy who was laying on the sofa grinning like a five-year-old.

• • 

Eating loads of ice cream sounded like the perfect idea before you started munching on it. It sounded even better when you were watching movies that definitely would make you cry. But now it was definitely not a good idea. I was stuffed and feeling a little sick from all the sugar. After watching ‘Forever my Girl’, Gem and I talked for hours after about everything and nothing, and when it was nearing two o’clock, I decided it was a good idea to get back home. After a long hug from Gem I was quickly out of the door and started the fifteen-minute walk back home. For a change, it was dead silent in Holmes Chapel at two o’clock in the morning, but it was nice for a change, not having to greet people and catch up with them, but only walk in your own pace and having your thoughts to yourself and just breathe the country air. That was something I had missed deeply when I lived in Boston, to walk around in the middle of the night and not meet a single person and not to stop up to help tourist find the way to their hotels. It was quiet and I had missed it deeply.

After my fifteen-minute walk I quietly went to the kitchen to make a cup of lemon tea, something that always seemed calmed me down and help me sleep better. Meanwhile that brewed for a few minutes with my sugar mixed with the water, I made my way down to my bedroom and quickly changed into the first oversized t-shirt I could get my hands on and went back to the kitchen to get my tea. Normally I would turn on the TV or listen to some music while I got ready to get, but tonight I needed to get more tired as time progressed. With my tea in my hands I went into the bathroom and pulled my hair out of my way with a scrunchie and started to find my makeup wipes and cleanser feeling no determination to clean my face even when all I had on was mascara and some brow product. Looking into the mirror I sighed and turned on the water to splash some water on my face, quickly I dried my face with a soft old clean cotton t-shirt I always used on my face took a sip of my tea and decided that sleep was more important than my skincare routine at the moment. Quickly I turned off the lights in the bathroom and walked back my bedroom and after closing the door I downed my tea and put the cup on the desk. Quickly I hopped on my bed and got down under my duvet and snuggled the teddy bear Max had given me when he was six years old. 

Before drifting to sleep I started to think about seeing Harry for the first time in a long time. he hadn’t changed since I last saw him, still the grinning, happy and funny Harry that I enjoyed spending time with. Obviously taller and more handsome but it was great to see him again and feel a little more at home now that I saw him again. 

• •   
After getting home late last night I had surprisingly extra energy when Fiona woke me up around nine in the morning and decided to bake everything I craved, chocolate cake with frosting, a Victoria sponge with lemon drizzle and cookies. And after going for a walk with Fiona while buying the ingredients for the baked goods I started weighing everything for all of the cakes and proceeded to start making the batter for the chocolate cake. 

“Alexa! Play ‘Sanctify’ with Years & Years.” I yelled as I weighed the butter for the chocolate cake, “Playing ‘Sanctify’ with Years & Years” Alexa said a mere second after I demanded for the song to play. Humming to the tune I placed the bowl of butter to the side and grabbed the flour and cocoa powder, pressed on the scale for it to reset and placed a new bowl on top of the scale and that went on for about ten minutes for all the ingredients for the three cakes I had set in mind to bake. While belting out to the different songs Alexa was playing I was careful not to spill anything on myself knowing I was a klutz and it would probably happen anyway, I tried my best I really did. The chocolate cake went smoothly and so did the cookies, but the Victorian sponge with lemon drizzle was too sour and to be completely honest quite horrible in my opinion, but either way I decided to pack a bit of everything and pop in to say hello to Barbara and the other women in the bakery as well as my mum. As soon as I had packed it I left the kitchen in a mess and was quickly sat in the car humming along to the radio. After a five-minute drive, I was at the pharmacy and quickly popped in to say hello to mum, dropped of a few baked goods for her and her colleague and then I walked to the bakery which was a couple of minutes of walking from the car. With my hands full I opened the door to the bakery with my elbow while balancing the cakes.

“Zoe!” A light voice said with excitement and as I looked up I saw Barbara behind the stand walking around it to help me. “Barbara!” I said as loud as she did with a massive smile on my face, oh how I had missed her, Barbara was quick to help me with the baked goods and held me close after putting them on the counter. “My little sunshine.” She whispered as she held me close and I felt my heart feeling just a few grams lighter in her arms. Barbara was special to the whole family and everyone in town. When Max was a few years old our nan passed away and Barbara helped grandpa with everything from that point on. The friendship they had, had been completely platonic but in ways she did feel like a second grandmother for me and my siblings, someone who would help us when we were scared or were hurt, but also someone who would look stern at us when we had done something wrong, but five minutes after would give us kisses and a treat. 

“What have you got here honey?” Susan asked behind the counter as she looked at the packed baked goods. “I was bored so I baked?” I said but it ended up sounding like a question rather than an answer. “As you do Zoe” she laughed and started to take a look inside. Barbara and I let go of each other and went over to the counter and I started to explain what everything was plus warning them of the Victorian sponge with lemon drizzle. “It’s too sour, be warned!” I said as they tasted the sponge and I took of my denim jacket and hung it over a chair. “Oh no honey, it’s delicious!” Susan exclaimed with big eyes and a smile on her face. “Oh, Harry you must taste this!” Barbara yelled and looked over to the doorway to the back of the bakery and no surprisingly Harry was standing in the doorway with an apron on and a beanie. 

“Back at your old job I see?” I jokingly asked him as he walked over to Susan and tasted the cake. “Always, they love me here. I’m their favourite.” He said with a mouth full of cake and winked to Barbara, to which made Susan, Barbara and I laugh. “As I recall you were the replacement when Michael stopped and clearly I’m the favourite because of my baking skills.” I said and took a bite of a cookie and looked knowingly at him when Barbara and Susan were in agreement. “That’s not fair!” He said and pointed at me and shook his head slightly.


End file.
